


An Imperial Relic

by HellbellFirera



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Armitage Hux Has Feelings, Armitage Hux Lives, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Damerux, Gingerpilot, M/M, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26123020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellbellFirera/pseuds/HellbellFirera
Summary: Armitage Hux allows himself a moment of grief during the annual celebrations of the Fall of the First Order.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux
Comments: 1
Kudos: 61





	An Imperial Relic

**Author's Note:**

> Aimed for depressing Hux-centric angst and ended up with hopeful Gingerpilot.

The cheers of celebration echoed around him as fireworks lit up the night sky, the joyous occasion impossible to avoid on Coruscant. The fall of the First Order was a milestone marked around the galaxy with festivities, billions upon billions of species celebrating their freedom from the oppressive regime that had attempted to follow in the Empire’s footsteps.

For Armitage Hux, this annual event was a challenge. He’d started a new life and moved on from his role as General in the First Order, but on a day where everyone else celebrated, he allowed himself to grieve the loss of a career he’d given everything to, talented colleagues he’d worked alongside and technological advancements he’d pioneered that had been lost with the Order’s Star Destroyers.

He’d spent his life trying to prove himself to his father and superiors, to ensure that he was deemed useful (valuable even), only to have it ripped out from under him when the First Order fell. He’d presented himself to the Resistance, accepting whatever fate they decided on, determined to face the loss as a General would instead of running to the far reaches of the known galaxy as some had chosen.

There was leniency and goodwill shown to him in those early days, much more than he felt he deserved, but the information he’d provided to them in his quest to destroy Kylo Ren had been essential in helping them to win the war - giving him the unlikely status of a ‘defector’. He’d stood tall at his trial, refusing to allow his assigned defence to hide his crimes in any way and had been speechless when he’d been spared execution.

It had been agreed that he would provide his engineering skills to the new Galactic Alliance, in return for his life and protection from those who would do him harm. He was set to work repairing droids at first and it took years for trust to grow on both sides before he was eventually granted access to shields and, on occasion, weapons. It was a life of a lowly engineer, far removed from that of a General, but he found it to be peaceful.

“Quite something, isn’t it?” Poe Dameron’s voice pulled him from his thoughts and he glanced over to find the pilot stood beside him at the balcony overlooking the city below.

“It is indeed.” he agreed with a nod and a slight smile, taking a sip of the drink he’d momentarily forgotten was in his hand. He forced himself to focus on the present, letting the lingering grief fade from his mind as he watched the fireworks.

“It hardly feels as though ten years have passed.” the other man murmured, turning a little towards the former General, “It’s okay to feel sad, you know. While you were on the other side, you were just as dedicated to your cause as we were to ours.”

“Sad? I don’t-”

“ _Hux_.”

He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, granting himself what little comfort he could as he bore his soul to the pilot. Expression of emotion was something the old Armitage Hux would never have allowed, but time had changed his ideas on many things.

“It’s not sadness, exactly, more grief.” he admitted, clearing his throat a little as he voiced thoughts he’d never wanted to confess, “Don’t get me wrong, your win was deserved and our actions were barbaric, I’ve come to understand that, but the loss of those years and my work is no less painful. I wish that things could be different, not that the Order had won, but that my time might have been spent doing something that is seen as worthwhile.”

He barely restrained a flinch as Poe rested a hand on his shoulder, unusued to anyone attempting to touch him, “You’re allowed to feel those things. But what you’re doing nowadays? That’s worthwhile, more than worthwhile, you’re changing the galaxy for the better.”

“It doesn’t change what I did. The blood on my hands. Nothing will ever change that.”

“No.” the pilot agreed, “But you can’t change the past, none of us can. All we can do is move forward and try to fix our mistakes by improving the galaxy for everyone.”

“You should have been a politician, you have quite the way with words.” he complimented, reaching up a shaking hand to wipe away a stray tear, “Don’t let me disturb you from the celebrations any longer, Commander.”

“I’m not leaving you on your own tonight.” Poe stated and Hux found his drink removed from his hand and placed safely on the side, “Dance with me.”

“Pardon?” he snorted a little in surprise, “There isn’t any music.”

The pilot rolled his eyes and gently tugged the former General into position, “Hux, _Armitage_ , come on. Live a little.”

“This is... people who are...couples dance like this.” he stated a little nervously as Poe held him close and gently lead their impromptu dance.

“Yes.”

“And we...well, we’re not...”

“We could be.”

“Oh.”

“If that was something that you wanted to explore?”

“Well, yes... I... yes.”

“Alright then.” Poe smiled at him, “I didn’t really know how to ask.”

“Apparently so.”

“Can I call you Armi?”

“Definitely not.”

He allowed himself to move a little closer to the pilot, closing his eyes and resting his head against the other man’s shoulder, letting hope for the future cascade over him and push the grief away. He would prove himself to his father and his former superiors, he’d prove himself to be _better_ than any of them could have ever dreamed to be.

Armitage Hux would be remembered, not as General Starkiller or an imperial relic, but as an engineer who helped to rebuild the galaxy after generations of war. If he was also remembered as Commander Poe Dameron’s other half too, well, that wouldn’t be so bad.


End file.
